This Comparative Medical Science Training Program seeks to provide graduate Ph.D. training for talented veterinarians to become effective scientists in biomedical research while developing an appreciation for the broad context of Comparative Medicine. The foundation of the training program is the University of California Center for Comparative Medicine, a research and teaching center that is co-sponsored by the Schools of Veterinary Medicine and Medicine. The Center for Comparative Medicine provides a unique training environment that exists nowhere else in the world. Six training positions are requested for this funding period. Trainees will be selected based upon academic excellence and demonstrated interest/experience in research careers. Depending upon career interest of the candidate, each trainee will be matched with relevant mentors who maintain robust, well-funded research programs. Training will emphasize rigorous scientific research, scientific writing, verbal communication, and interaction with a community of M.D., D.V.M and Ph.D. scientists and allied professionals that profess the concept of Comparative Medicine.